The Fourth Kind

The Fourth Kind is a sci-fi/thriller from Universal Studios starring Milla Jovovich and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi.

The film’s title refers to what ufologists call a close encounter of the fourth kind, which involves alien abduction. Steven Spielberg’s famous film Close Encounters Of The Third Kind refers to UFO cases where beings are observed at close range in addition to sighting an unidentified flying object.

The Fourth Kind centers on a series of unexplained disappearances occurring in Nome, Alaska which may be tied to alien abductions. Jovovich plays Abigail Tyler, a psychiatrist investigating the case, and whose “archival footage” has been the focus of a viral marketing campaign by the studio designed to lead moviegoers to believe that the film is based on actual events.

The studio has set up various websites to support this, although a Google search for “Nome alien abductions” doesn’t turn up much in the way of evidence. While there have been some unexplained disappearances in Nome over the years, F.B.I. investigations suggest these may have been due more to bad weather, tough terrain, and close encounters of the alcoholic kind, rather than anything to do with aliens. It is also unclear if psychiatrist Abigail Tyler is an actual person or not.

About Glen Boyd

Glen Boyd is the author of Neil Young FAQ, released in May 2012 by Backbeat Books/Hal Leonard Publishing. He is a former BC Music Editor and current contributor, whose work has also appeared in SPIN, Ultimate Classic Rock, The Rocket, The Source and other publications. You can read more of Glen's work at the official Neil Young FAQ site. Follow Glen on Twitter and on Facebook.

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